title: Inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver--MR imaging findings.
abstract: Using retrospective studies, we have investigated the possibility of obtaining characteristic findings of inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. We examined 8 patients (involving 8 masses) who had been histologically diagnosed as having an inflammatory pseudotumor in the liver. The histological studies were performed on an excised specimen of 1 mass, and on aspiration needle biopsy specimens and the clinical courses of the other 7 masses. T1 weighted images (T1WI) and T2 weighted images (T2WI) were obtained on MR imaging. MR imagings were analyzed for visualized patterns, patterns of internal structure and patterns of contrast enhancement of dynamic MR imaging. The 8 masses were visualized as hypointense on T1WI and hyperintense on T2WI by MR imaging. Dynamic MR imaging revealed that 1 mass was markedly enhanced peripherally while another mass was homogeneously enhanced, and that enhancement was most marked immediately after injection of contrast medium and then gradually disappeared. Vessels were observed in 4 masses (the portal vein in 2 masses, the hepatic vein in 1 mass, and portal and hepatic veins in 1 mass), and these vessels were clearly visualized on T1WI. The MR imaging findings from the early stage of an inflammatory pseudotumor showed a pattern similar to that of hepatic tumors with rich blood flow. The portal vein or hepatic vein was found in the tumor in half the patients, suggesting that this characteristic was useful for diagnosis of an inflammatory pseudotumor in the liver.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ijuin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohnishi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kohakura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamawaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kusaba
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanikawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006104:Granuloma, Plasma Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged